South Nassau Communities Hospital and Empire BlueCross BlueShield reached a deal just days after this protest

South Nassau and Empire reach deal

By: Claude Solnik July 2, 2018Comments Off on South Nassau and Empire reach deal

Just days after protesters marched in front of the hospital and as the deadline approached, South Nassau Communities Hospital has reached an agreement with Empire BlueCross BlueShield.

South Nassau Communities Hospital in a written statement said it is “pleased to announce” the 30-month agreement, reached just before the July 1 deadline at which the hospital would have become out-of–network.

“We had a very difficult negotiation,” Joseph Calderone, a senior vice president, said. “But at the end, BlueCross and South Nassau came to turns. We were able to address some of the parity issues that we had in terms of the reimbursement rate that BlueCross had for other, similar-sized hospitals in Nassau County.”

South Nassau said that “throughout the negotiation process,” it “remained committed to meeting the needs for high-quality, compassionate healthcare” to the 900,000 people it serves.

“We really did receive significant support from our elected officials,” Calderone said. “I think that made a big difference. BlueCross negotiated in good faith. We were able to come to terms.”

The hospital also in a written statement indicated its gratitude toward all those who supported it in these negotiations.

“Together, Blue Cross and South Nassau worked very hard to nail down a deal and we are proud of our accomplishment,” the hospital added. “We are thankful for the support and patience we received throughout the negotiations from our patients, staff members and civic, elected and business leaders.”